Forrester’s 2026 Technology & Security Predictions: As AI’s Hype Fades, Enterprises Will Defer 25% of Planned AI Spend to 2027

According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) 2026 technology and security predictions, AI will face a reckoning next year — the gap between inflated vendor promises and the value delivered to enterprises is widening, forcing a market correction to align expectations with reality. With fewer than one-third of decision-makers able to tie the value of AI to their organization’s financial growth, CEOs will lean more on their CFOs to approve AI investments based on their ROI in 2026. As financial rigor slows production deployments and wipes out proofs of concept, enterprises will defer a quarter of their planned AI spend into 2027.

Forrester’s Predictions reports offer forward-looking insights into trends and signals that empower leaders and their teams to think beyond the conventional and ignite bold ideas in the year ahead. Forrester’s technology and security predictions cover topics including: artificial intelligence; automation and robotics; tech leadership; cloud computing; tech infrastructure and operations; enterprise software; software development; cybersecurity and risk; and smart manufacturing and mobility.

Key highlights from Forrester’s 2026 technology and security predictions include:

• Neoclouds will grab $20 billion in revenue, eroding hyperscaler dominance in genAI. In 2026, enterprise adoption in neoclouds — specialized cloud providers that focus on high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) for AI workloads — will surge as they expand orchestration capabilities, support open-source models, and offer sovereign AI solutions.

• The time to fill developer positions will double. As organizations integrate the human expertise of senior developers with AI for superior engineering outcomes, they will seek candidates who have strong foundations of system architecture.

• Quantum security spending will exceed 5% of the overall IT security budget. In 2026,security teams will rapidly ramp up quantum security spending across key areas including consulting services to plan quantum security migrations and cryptographic discovery and inventory tools to prioritize migrating high-impact systems.

“In 2026, the AI hype period ends as the pressure to deliver real, measurable results from secure AI initiatives intensifies,” said Sharyn Leaver, chief research officer at Forrester. “As the era of volatility continues, tech and security leaders will be called upon to recalibrate investments under tighter financial scrutiny and governance while navigating increasingly complex geopolitical and economic risks. Forrester’s predictions are designed to help leaders make confident decisions by understanding the forward-looking trends that will shape their industry, function, and role in the year ahead.”

Resources:

• Download Forrester’s 2026 Predictions guides for technology and security leaders; B2C marketing and customer experience leaders; and B2B marketing and sales leaders.
• Register to attend Forrester’s webinar covering key AI predictions for the coming year.
• Visit Forrester’s 2026 Predictions hub to access additional complimentary resources.
• View the full agenda and speakers for Technology & Innovation Summit North America and Security & Risk Summit.

About Forrester

Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We empower leaders in technology, customer experience, digital, marketing, sales, and product functions to be bold at work and accelerate growth through customer obsession. Our unique research and continuous guidance model helps executives and their teams achieve their initiatives and outcomes faster and with confidence. To learn more, visit Forrester.com.

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